Lou Reed, New Yorks ewiger König, extravaganter Musiker und Künstler in einem, der mit Andy Warhol auf unzähligen Partys unterwegs war, mit Iggy Pop und David Bowie Berlin unsicher machte, ist eine Perle der (Pop-) Musik. Eine Huldigung anlässlich der vor kurzem erschienen lyrischen Kollektion – genannt „Pass thru fire“ – , in dem alle Songinhalte von ihm und Velvet Underground aufgelistet sind, ist deshalb notwendig. „Hey babe, walk on the wild side.“

Natürlich zwingt sich gleich zu Beginn die Frage auf, wo man bei einem Musiker der Marke Lou Reed, dessen künstlerisches Schaffen in einem kürzlich erschienenen Buch namens „Pass thru fire“ in Form von abgedruckten Songtexten (sowohl von Lou Reed solo als auch von Velvet Underground) widergespiegelt wurde, anfangen soll. Die ganze Biografie von A bis Z runterrasseln und dabei – wie schon oft passiert – das Wesentliche unter den Tisch kehren? Nur markante Punkte, also Jahreszahlen inklusive, seines künstlerischen Schaffens erwähnen? Es wäre jedoch bei Weitem spannender, die ganze Sache mal mit der dafür nötigen Coolness anzugehen und just nur einen Bruchteil dessen in die (virtuelle) Auslage zu stellen – besser: die im Buch gedruckte Mini-Biografie dieses so wichtigen Musikers zu zitieren: „Lou Reed ist einer der größten Rockmusiker überhaupt, eine schillernde Persönlichkeit, der die Zerrissenheit der Epoche in seinem Wesen widerspiegelt. Seine Werke versammeln schwermütige Songs wie Venus in Furs und Sunday Morning und lakonische, intime Balladen wie Perfect Day oder Coney Island Baby, aber auch harte Texte, die die raue Wirklichkeit auf den Straßen New Yorks beschreiben.“ Der geneigte Leser wird erkennen, dass man es mit weniger Worten wohl nicht so auf den Punkt gebracht hätte wie eben passiert. Außerdem: Gute Künstler muss man zitieren! Dem nichts nachstehend, werden im Folgenden die sicherlich wichtigsten Songs, die Lou Reed zu komponieren im Stande war, abgedruckt:

Just a Perfect Day (Album: „Transfomer“; 1972):

Just a perfect day
drink Sangria in the park
And then later
when it gets dark, we go home

Just a perfect day
feed animals in the zoo
Then later
a movie, too, and then home

Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spend it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on

Just a perfect day
problems all left alone
Weekenders on our own
it's such fun

Just a perfect day
you made me forget myself
I thought I was
someone else, someone good

Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
You're going to reap just what you sow

 Walk on the Wild Side (Album: “Transformer”; 1972):

Holly came from Miami, Fla
Hitchhiked her way across the USA.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her leg and then he was she - she said:

Hey Babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Candy came from out on the island,
In the backroom she was everybodys darling,
But she never lost her head
Even when she was given head - she said

Hey Babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.
And the coloured girls go, doo dodoo

Little Joe never once gave it away,
Ev'rybody had to pay and pay.
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York city is no place where they said:

Hey Babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Sugar plum fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo, you should have seen him go go go - they said:

Hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side,
Said hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Jackie is just speeding away,
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash, Valium would have helped that bash - she said:

Hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side,
Said hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.
And the coloured girls go, doo dodoo

Coney Island Baby (Album: „Coney Island Baby“; 1976):

You know, man, when I was a young man in high school
You believe in or not, that I wanted to play football for the coach
All those older guys, they said he was mean and cruel
But you know, I wanted to play football, for the coach
They said I was to little too light weight to play line-back
So I say I'm playing right-in
Wanted to play football for the coach
Cause, you know some day, man, you gotta stand up straight
Unless you're gonna fall
Then you're gonna die
And the straightest dude I ever knew
Was standing right for me, all the time
So I had to play football for the coach
And I wanted to play football for the coach
When you're all alone and lonely in your midnight hour
And you find that your soul, it has been up for sale
And you getting to think about, all the things you done
And you getting to hate just about everything
But remember the princess who lived on the hill
Who loved you even though she knew you was wrong
And right now she just might come shining through
and the glory of love, glory of love
Glory of love, just might come through
And all your two-bit friends have gone and ripped you off
They're talking behind your back saying, man
you are never going to be a human being
And you start thinking again
About all those things that you've done
And who it was and who it was
And all the different things you made every different scene
Ah, but remember that the city is a funny place
Something like a circus or a sewer
And just remember, different people have peculiar tastes
And the Glory of love, the glory of love
The glory of love, might see you through
Yeah, but now, now
Glory of love, the glory of love
The glory of love, might see you through
Glory of love, ah, huh, huh, the glory of love
Glory of love, glory of love
Glory of love, now, glory of love, now
Glory of love, now, now, now, glory of love
Glory of love, give it to me now, glory of love see you through
Oh, my Coney Island baby, now
(I'm a Coney Island baby, now)
I'd like to send this one out for Lou and Rachel
And the Lord appeared and he has one made of two
Coney Island baby
Man, I swear, I'd give the whole thing up for you

Die Songtexte entstammen dem Buch “Pass thru fire”, das im Fischer Verlag erschienen ist.